New Public Housing For Seniors To Have Rainwater Collection System

Ground has been broken for the 80-unit Oliver House, public housing for seniors in Decatur that will have have a rainwater recycling system.

NorSouth Constructs issued a press release about the ground breaking. It says in part:

Demolition of the former housing units has commenced, with completion of Oliver House projected for August 2012.  The new building is named for Henry Oliver, a local business owner who lived in Decatur over a century ago.  Designed in a traditional style of brick, cast stone and stucco by HADP Architecture of Atlanta and Florida, the structure will blend in well with Decatur’s ongoing redevelopment, and has a number of “green” features, including geo-thermal water heating in both the individual apartments and common areas.

The collection system is being installed by ECOVIE, a company that designs and installs rainwater collection systems throughout metro Atlanta.

Ecovie sent a release giving more details about the 12,000-gallon system:

As part of the new building process, the senior center will be equipped with green systems such as ECOVIE’s rainwater harvesting basins. The collection system will have a state-of-the-art treatment unit that will convert captured rainwater and use it for toilets in the more than 80 units being constructed. The rainwater will also help with irrigating the courtyard and other outside watering needs, and is expected to meet 80 percent of the water demands for these uses.

The Oliver House will be the second of three phases in the redevelopment of by the .

The first phase, with 40 units, was finished late last year. It will house families. The last phase is expected to be finished in 2016.

According to , officials say the entire redevelopment of 288 units will take about six years to complete. When it's completed, the Decatur Housing Authority will have invested more than $30 million in the development.